Xcode

'Xcode' Articles

Upwork, the largest global freelancing website, today shared a list of the top 20 fastest growing skills in the U.S. freelance job market, providing a closer look at trends in the industry.
Apple's design framework for iOS and tvOS apps, UIKit, and its development tool, Xcode, both made the list in the second quarter of 2018:Blockchain
Google Cloud Platform
Volusion
Risk management
Product photography
Rapid prototyping
Google App Engine API
SCORM
GitLab
Go development
Apple UIKit
Enterprise architecture
Tensorflow
Atlassian Confluence
Apple Xcode
eLearning
Customer retention
Articulate storyline
Node.js
Scala developmentUpwork says more companies are seeking freelance developers with Xcode knowledge to build their apps, causing an "increase in demand" for experience with the tool. UIKit also saw "high growth" last quarter, making its first appearance on the list.
Upwork shared a list of relevant online courses for each skill listed, including UIKit and Xcode, for those interested in getting

Steven Troughton-Smith today discovered a brief video on Apple's servers that appears to show Xcode 10 running on macOS 10.14.
The well-known developer says he found the 30-second clip buried within an API on the backend of the Mac App Store. He shared a direct link to the video, embedded below, with 9to5Mac's Guilherme Rambo.
Given the video originates from Apple's servers, and is for its own Xcode development tool, everything shown is very likely real.
Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Xcode 10 on macOS 10.14. Dark Appearance, Apple News, App Store w/ video previews pic.twitter.com/rJlDy81W4W— Steve Troughton-Smith (@stroughtonsmith) June 2, 2018
That includes:Xcode 10 has a new dark interface, while the Trash icon in the dock is also darker, suggesting that macOS 10.14 may feature a systemwide dark mode, including in apps. On macOS 10.13, there is a partial dark mode, but only for the dock and top menu bar.
There is an Apple News icon in the dock, suggesting that it will be expanding to the Mac with a desktop app.
The desktop background could be a picture of the Mojave Desert in California during the night, hinting at a macOS Mojave name for the next version. MacRumors recently noted that Mojave could be Apple's top choice based on the company's recent trademark activity.The video itself also likely confirms rumors that the Mac App Store will be redesigned on macOS 10.14 to more closely resemble the App Store on iOS 11, including the addition of preview videos like this one for apps.
The leak comes just two days before Apple's annual Worldwide

Along with the first beta of iOS 11.3, Apple today also seeded the first beta of a new Xcode 9.3 update to developers. Xcode 9.3 introduces a new Energy organizer that's designed to help developers detect when an app or app extension is using up too much battery life on a user's device.
The Energy organizer will display logs that are generated when an app exceeds a "reasonable CPU threshold" when running in either the foreground or the background, making it easier for developers to pinpoint and fix bugs.
Xcode 9.3's release notes also mention a new 64-bit testing mode in macOS 10.13.4 that will allow developers to test software for 64-bit compatibility as Apple prepares to begin phasing out 32-bit Mac apps. In macOS 10.13.4, end users will see a notification when launching a 32-bit app, which warns them that 32-bit apps will not "run without compromise" in future versions of macOS.
Additionally, 32-bit is not offered as an option in Xcode's build settings UI, and the build system will emit a warning when building for macOS for the 32-bit architecture.
Xcode has also been designed to run more Swift build tasks in parallel with other commands, improving build times for Swift projects. It may, however, also result in increased memory usage during the build.
Xcode 9.3 requires a Mac running macOS 10.13.2 or later, which means the software will no longer run on Macs that continue to use older operating systems like Sierra.
Developers can download Xcode 9.3 from the Developer Center.

Alongside the new iOS 11, watchOS 4, and tvOS 11 updates, Apple has released Xcode 9, the latest version of the Xcode Mac app that lets developers create apps for Mac, iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, and Apple TV.
Xcode 9 introduces Swift 4 and all of the SDKs necessary to develop apps for iOS 11, watchOS 4, tvOS 11, and macOS High Sierra, including the new Core ML framework for machine learning and ARKit for augmented reality.
Xcode 9 includes a new structure-based editor with native Markdown support and faster navigation through code, plus it includes built-in refactoring that works across Swift, Objective-C, C, C++, Interface Builder, and more.
Faster search and wireless debugging for iOS and tvOS devices have been added, as have new debuggers for Metal. iOS playground templates now work in both Xcode and Swift Playgrounds, and Xcode server is built in, so there's no need to install macOS server.
There's a new source control navigator with integrated support for GitHub for better collaborative code management, and Simulator has been updated to behave more like a real device. It's also able to simulate multiple devices at once.
A full and extensive list of everything new in Xcode 9 is available from Apple's developer site, and an overview is also available on Apple's Xcode site. Many developers will already be familiar with the changes introduced as Xcode 9 has been in testing alongside iOS 11 and the other software updates since June.
Xcode can be downloaded from the Mac App Store for free. [Direct Link]

Though the new MacBook Pro models equipped with a Touch Bar won't be in the hands of consumers for at least two more weeks, Apple today updated many of its Mac apps with support for the feature.
GarageBand, iMovie, Keynote, Numbers, Pages, and Xcode are now able to work with the Touch Bar built into new 13 and 15-inch MacBook Pro machines.
In Xcode, the Touch Bar offers up context-specific buttons when in the Xcode editor, commit sheet, navigator, and Interface Builder. The Interface Builder makes it easy for developers to add Touch Bar features to their Mac apps, and the Touch Bar simulator lets them see how their app works with the Touch Bar.
In Numbers, Pages, and Keynote, the Touch Bar can be used to edit text, shapes, tables, and charts, providing quick-access tools depending on what you're working on.
In iMovie, the Touch Bar allows users to quickly add video clips to a movie, or use them to create picture in picture, green screen, and split screen effects. There are also options for using the Touch Bar to play a movie, split a clip, or adjust clip volume.
In GarageBand, the Touch Bar can be used to adjust all Smart Controls on a selected track, adjust volume, or to fine-tune the sound of instruments and effects.
Apple has also released a new version of iTunes, iTunes 12.5.2. The update is not yet available for download and it may be limited to new MacBook Pro models, introducing support for the Touch Bar.
Over the course of the next few weeks, many popular Mac apps from third-party developers will also be updated to support the new Touch Bar

Apple today released a 7.0.1 update for Xcode, and according to the release notes, the new version of the software include fixes for bugs related to App Thinning.
Last week, Apple notified developers that App Slicing, an App Thinning feature, was unavailable for iOS 9 apps because of an issue with iCloud backups. It appears the update for Xcode may fix some of the issues that prevented App Slicing from being made available to developers.App slicing is currently unavailable for iOS 9 apps due to an issue affecting iCloud backups created from iOS 9 where some apps from the App Store would only restore to the same model of iOS device.
When a customer downloads your iOS 9 app, they will get the Universal version of your app, rather than the variant specific for their device type. TestFlight will continue to deliver variants for your internal testers. App slicing will be reenabled with a future software update. No action is needed by you at this time.App Thinning is designed to decrease the size of iOS apps, saving valuable space on iPhones and iPads. With App Slicing, users only need to download the app assets that are designed for their particular device, rather than a full set of assets for a wide range of devices. For example, on an iPhone 6s, a user will only need to download iPhone 6s specific files, ignoring larger iPad artwork and lower quality resources for earlier iOS devices.
App Thinning also incorporates on-demand resources, allowing iOS apps to download content from iCloud only when necessary. A game with 100 levels, for example, might not download levels

Apple has added an XcodeGhost question and answer page to its Chinese website today that explains what the malware is, how some users may be affected and next steps the company is taking to ensure that developers and end users alike are protected against malicious software going forward.
Apple claims that it has no evidence to suggest that XcodeGhost has been used for anything malicious, such as the transmission of personally identifiable information, stipulating that the code is only able to deliver some general information about apps and system information.
Nevertheless, Apple says it is working closely with developers and will soon list the top 25 most popular apps impacted by XcodeGhost on its Chinese website. The company will also be alerting users to let them know if they have downloaded apps that could have been compromised. Many affected apps have since been updated and are no longer infected by XcodeGhost.
Relevant portions of the Apple FAQ for users:How does this affect me? How do I know if my device has been compromised?
We have no information to suggest that the malware has been used to do anything malicious or that this exploit would have delivered any personally identifiable information had it been used.
We’re not aware of personally identifiable customer data being impacted and the code also did not have the ability to request customer credentials to gain iCloud and other service passwords.
As soon as we recognized these apps were using potentially malicious code we took them down. Developers are quickly updating their apps for users.

Following last week's disclosure of new iOS malware called XcodeGhost, which arose from malicious versions of Xcode hosted on third-party servers, Apple has outlined instructions for developers to ensure the version of Xcode they are using is valid.
When downloading Xcode from the Mac App Store, or Apple's website so long as Gatekeeper is enabled, OS X automatically checks the app's code signature and validates it against Apple's code. If you must obtain Xcode elsewhere, follow these steps:To verify the identity of your copy of Xcode run the following command in Terminal on a system with Gatekeeper enabled:
spctl --assess --verbose /Applications/Xcode.app
where /Applications/ is the directory where Xcode is installed. This tool performs the same checks that Gatekeeper uses to validate the code signatures of applications. The tool can take up to several minutes to complete the assessment for Xcode.
The tool should return the following result for a version of Xcode downloaded from the Mac App Store:
/Applications/Xcode.app: accepted
source=Mac App Store
and for a version downloaded from the Apple Developer web site, the result should read either
/Applications/Xcode.app: accepted
source=Apple
or
/Applications/Xcode.app: accepted
source=Apple System
Any result other than ‘accepted’ or any source other than ‘Mac App Store’, ‘Apple System’ or ‘Apple’ indicates that the application signature is not valid for Xcode. You should download a clean copy of Xcode and recompile your apps before submitting them for review.Apple issued a statement in response

Earlier this week, Chinese developers disclosed new iOS malware called XcodeGhost on microblogging service Sina Weibo. U.S. cybersecurity firm Palo Alto Networks has since published details about the malware.
MacRumors has created a FAQ so you can learn more about XcodeGhost and how to keep your iOS devices protected.
What is XcodeGhost?
XcodeGhost is a new iOS malware arising from a malicious version of Xcode, Apple's official tool for developing iOS and OS X apps.
How is XcodeGhost distributed?
A malicious version of Xcode was uploaded to Chinese cloud file sharing service Baidu and downloaded by some iOS developers in China.
Chinese developers then unknowingly compiled iOS apps using the modified Xcode IDE and distributed those infected apps through the App Store.
Those apps then managed to pass through Apple's code review process, enabling iOS users to install or update the infected apps on their devices.
Which devices are affected?
iPhone, iPad and iPod touch models running an iOS version compatible with any of the infected apps. The malware affects both stock and jailbroken devices.
Which apps are affected?
Palo Alto Networks has shared a full list of over 50 infected iOS apps, including WeChat, NetEase Cloud Music, WinZip, Didi Chuxing, Railway 12306, China Unicom Mobile Office and Tonghuashun.
How many users are affected?
XcodeGhost potentially affects more than 500 million iOS users, primarily because messaging app WeChat is very popular in China and the Asia-Pacific region.
Which unofficial versions of Xcode are affected?
All

Apple development tool Xcode seemingly confirms the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus each have 2GB of RAM, while the iPad Pro has 4GB of RAM, as discovered by iOS developer Hamza Sood.
Not much of a surprise but Xcode confirms 2GB of RAM for the 6s (and 6s plus), and 4GB for the iPad Pro pic.twitter.com/X8Ym4DtamS— Hamza Sood (@hamzasood) September 13, 2015
The image asset is chosen based on the memoryClass key in the simdevicetype’s capabilities.plist. 0 = <1GB, 1 = 1GB, 2 = 2GB, 3 = 4GB.— Hamza Sood (@hamzasood) September 13, 2015
The iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus have long been rumored to have 2GB of RAM. Meanwhile, Adobe issued a Creative Cloud press release earlier this week that stated the iPad Pro had 4GB of RAM, but removed the mention just hours later.
As usual, Apple itself did not mention how much RAM the iPhone 6s, iPhone 6s Plus or iPad Pro have during its "Hey Siri" media event, nor does it include RAM on the tech spec pages for any of the

Apple today seeded Xcode 7 beta 6 to registered developers, more than two weeks after releasing Xcode 7 beta 5 alongside the fifth beta of iOS 9.
Xcode 7 beta 6 can be downloaded from the software update mechanism in the Mac App Store or through the Apple Developer Center.
Xcode 7 is designed to accompany Apple's next-generation operating systems: iOS 9, OS X 10.11 El Capitan, and watchOS 2, all of which will be released to the public in the coming weeks. Xcode 7 supports Swift 2.0 and includes new features like user interface testing and updated

Apple today updated a number of its iOS and Mac apps, bringing bug fixes and performance improvements to Beats Music, Remote, Xcode, Keynote for Mac, Pages for Mac, Numbers for Mac, Pages for iOS, Numbers for iOS, and Keynote for iOS.
Keynote for iOS was the only app to receive an update introducing new features, gaining support for the Keynote Remote Apple Watch app that will let Keynote presentations be controlled directly from the wrist.
Today's round of updates are the first Apple's iWork apps for Mac and iOS have seen since January. None of the apps have gained significant new features since an October update that brought compatibility with OS X Yosemite and Continuity. Both Beats Music and Remote have also gone several months without seeing an update until today, having last been updated in November and September,

United States Central Intelligence Agency researchers have been working for years to crack the security of Apple's iPhone and iPad, and may have done so through the creation of a modified version of Xcode, Apple's software development tool designed for developers.
According to secret documents obtained by The Intercept, at a 2012 "Jamboree" that focused on security flaws found in various electronics, CIA researchers outlined both a hacked version of Xcode and a modified OS X updater that could be used to install malicious software like keyloggers.The modified version of Xcode, the researchers claimed, could enable spies to steal passwords and grab messages on infected devices. Researchers also claimed the modified Xcode could "force all iOS applications to send embedded data to a listening post." It remains unclear how intelligence agencies would get developers to use the poisoned version of Xcode.The malicious version of Xcode could potentially be used to extract private data from devices that installed apps built by the hacked Xcode. Some of the things researchers said could be done with Xcode included installing "remote backdoors" in Mac apps, embedding an app developer's private key into iOS applications (letting the government masquerade as the targeted developer), forcing iOS apps to send data from an iPhone or iPad to a "listening post," and disabling core security features on iOS devices.
None of the documents detail how the Xcode and OS X installer exploits have been used by the CIA, and they also don't state whether the efforts have been successful, but as

With the release of Xcode 6 today after Worldwide Developer Conference, developers have found an option within Xcode to size apps for devices referred to as "Resizable iPhone" and "Resizable iPad", as pointed out by Mac4Ever [Google Translate]. The option is next to other Apple devices, including iPad Air, iPhone 5s, and iPad Retina.
The options are likely to enable developers to start developing apps that fit on the rumored larger 4.7 and 5.5 inch screens of the iPhone 6 and, perhaps, the rumored 12-inch iPad Pro. Another photo of the Xcode simulator shows the difference between an app visually optimized for an older iPhone in what appears to be the resolution for one of the two iPhone 6 models.
It's not yet known what the exact resolutions are for the 4.7 and 5.5 inch iPhone 6 models or even the rumored 12-inch iPad Pro, but the "resizable" functionality would allow developers to explore building versions of their apps for larger screens that are currently

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